Alex Lynn made the best possible start to his 2010 Michelin Formula Renault UK Winter Series with victory in the opening round at Snetterton in Norfolk. The reigning Graduate Cup champion took the lead at the start and held on to take his first ever win in the series and in car racing in general.
There was a shock in qualifying, with rising star Jack Hawksworth taking an unexpected maiden pole position for Mark Burdett Motorsport on his debut weekend in the series. Fortec Motorsport's Lynn joined him on the front row, with Daniil Kvyat and Luke Wright lining up on row two.
It was Lynn who made the best start as the lights went out, snatching the lead from Hawksworth as they headed into Riches for the first time. Formula Renault race winner Ollie Millroy also enjoyed a good start, leaping up from sixth to third, followed by Carlos Sainz Jr and Richie Stanaway.
An early safety car period stopped Lynn from building an advantage at the front, but he controlled the restart on lap seven and began to breakaway, setting the NGK fastest lap of the race in the process. Behind, a man on the move was Wright, who slipped past Sainz to take fifth.
As Lynn pulled away, a battle for second began developing, with Hawksworth coming under increased pressure from behind. He eventually lost out on lap eight, dropping to fourth, with Millroy moving into second and Stanaway into third.
Millroy began to close the gap on the leader, but ran out of laps, with 17 year old Lynn crossing the line to take his first victory in the series. Millroy took second, with Stanaway taking his first Formula Renault podium with third. Hawksworth took a solid fourth on his debut, with Wright giving his MGR Motorsport team a top five finish in their first outing. In the BARC class, Fortec Motorsport's Josh Webster took a comprehensive victory.
